The investigators documented 34 cases of wild orcas that offered food to humans
Scientists have documented orcas to drop prey ahead of humans, as if they were offering food. The reasons for this behavior are uncertain. It can be an attempt to relationship between species and manipulation.
In a study this Monday in Journal of Comparative Psychologya fascinating behavior was revealed in the Orcas: They want to share their prey with humans.
And although the orcas did not officially confirm it, it is more likely to be the form of establish relationships with us.
However, the other hypothesis that scientists also left open: this can be just a manipulation technique.
The study documented 34 incidents of orcas that offered it food to humans in the last two decades worldwide.
What is interesting is that, in almost all cases examined by the team, the Animals waited to see the reaction of humansbefore recovering or abandoning the food they had offered – such as fish, mammals, invertebrates and seaweed.
This suggests that orcas were interested in people’s reactions.
So far, the orcas have been one of the few wild predators on earth that have been reported to offer food to people.
It is also important to note that these incidents were not registered in a single group of orcas, but in whales In the four corners of the worldin the oceans of California, New Zealand, Patagonia and Norway-which means there is something in the intellect of the orcas that encourages them to try to relate to humans.
“Giving humans food can simultaneously be an opportunities for killer orcas to practice cultural behaviors learned, explore or play. When doing so, it is also an opportunity to learn about us, manipulate us or develop relationships with us”The investigators said in.
“Given the advanced cognitive capabilities and the social and cooperative nature of this species, we assume that any or all these explanations and results of such behavior are possible,” they conclude.
As it praises, it seems that we are in the midst of a series of discoveries about this fascinating creature. Last month, we learned that for a kind of beauty regime.
